In a presentation to advertisers, Nickelodeon released its latest research insights into today’s kids, born since 2005, who are growing up markedly different from the generation before them. For these kids, the hallmarks and traits include being closer to their parents than prior generations, being seen as smart and funny by peers and family, and creating their own relationship to technology.
Drawn from a proprietary Nickelodeon Consumer Insights study titled “The Story of Me,” the presentation at the network’s Times Square headquarters compared and contrasted the kids of today with kids of a similar age 10 years ago, as well as highlighting select third-party data about kids’ media consumption.
Today’s generation of kids is demonstrating defining characteristics that set them apart from generations prior. Select findings and highlights from the presentation include:
Media and Technology Use
- Media consumption among kids has grown over the past four years to nearly 35 hours per week, presenting an increase of 2.2 hours since 2009.
- TV usage is up 12 percent versus nine years ago, according to Nielsen, despite the many alternative devices available to them including tablets, computers and games consoles.
- Computer and gaming consoles make 27 percent of kids’ daily media consumption.
- While tablet adoption rates have increased, their adoption still represents a small slice of the pie, at 8 percent.
- Gaming is their number one activity across devices. Ninety-six percent of kids say they use their computer for gaming, compared to 88 percent on the tablet and 86 percent on the smartphone.
- Three-quarters of kids say they watch short form video on their iDevice, and consuming long-form programming is growing: more than half of kids with an iDevice now watch long-form content, a 23 percent lift over last year.
Family
- Eight out of 10 kids say they wish they could spend more time with their parents.
- Kids have very close relationships with their siblings, with 7 in 10 saying they love their sibling no matter what.
- Ninety-three percent of kids say they trust their mother more than anyone else.
- When it comes to making decisions, 94 percent of families share everything or most things, and 8 in 10 parents discuss purchases with their kids ahead of time because there are emotional benefits in making decisions together.
Peers:
- Kids state that being nice, smart, and funny are more important than clothing and types of music.
- Eight in 10 kids say they care more about getting good grades than being popular.
Self-Perception: Most kids today say they are smarter than their peers.
- Eight in 10 kids today believe that they are smarter than most other kids their age.
- Seventy-four percent described themselves as funny, with 50 percent ranking themselves between 10 and 11 on an 11-point scale.
- Kids say they are happy, and they have a strong sense of self. They believe they are nice to people, smart, and that they make their parents happy.
- They are self-assured, with 96 percent saying they believe they can accomplish anything they want to if they work hard enough.
